Hiking Snacks

The Khumbu region is the central focus for much of the tourism to Nepal. More than any other region in the country many hikers plan treks and expeditions through a main trail route that begins in the airport village of Lukla extending north to Namche and further up to the village of Gorak Shep near the Mt. Everest Base Camp. Along these many kilometers of trails and thousands of feet of elevation gain/loss/gain there are hundreds of enterprising vendors selling the one thing that calls out to the cravings of Western hikers: snacks.

In every village there are several small shops selling chips, candy bars, sodas and beer. The selection is usually made up of Pringles, Snickers, Mars, Fanta, Coke, Sprite and San Miguel. With luck there may be a slightly extended selection of snacks, but it's good to find mineral water and toilet paper too. All of the items are produced within Nepal, so the items aren't quite the same as you may be used to, and the quality is not as consistent, but the bold colors of the packaging do catch your attention. After being out on the trails for a couple of weeks eating bland potatoes and ramen noodles you do crave the chocolate and sticky sweet rush of sugar.

However, as you hike to higher elevations to prices soar with you. Starting in Lukla the price of a candy bar is at least 100 Rupees, which now is about US $1.40, and once you reach the end of the trail at Gorak Shep the price can be as high as 300 Rupees, or over US $4. At that altitude and after so much tedium the price does not factor in very much. If you can stand to forgo the rush of chocolate and Coke you can get by much cheaper by enjoying the hot lemon tea and the noodles. Even at the end of the trail those items are both much less than US $1 each. Sadly you may find that your cravings have depleted your cash Rupees long before you reach Gorak Shep, so you may have to learn to love the cheaper snacks.